


Shot

by LBibliophile



Series: Fire Lord Zuko's Assassination Attempt Bingo [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Bingo Fill, Fire Lord Zuko, Gen, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Protective Katara (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Whumptober 2020, guess what someone invented?, is seriously peeved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26926348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LBibliophile/pseuds/LBibliophile
Summary: Fire Lord Zuko is doing his best to fix things, so he would really appreciate it if people would stop trying to kill him already.And Sokka would really appreciate it if they didn't add insult to injury by using such cool new technology to do so.For Whumptober 2020 - alt. 14: shot
Relationships: Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Fire Lord Zuko's Assassination Attempt Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1955584
Comments: 8
Kudos: 181
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Shot

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been reading _Night Watch_ by Terry Pratchett lately, so now someone in ATLA has invented a gun.

Fire Lord Zuko wakes in the infirmary.

There is a dull pain stabbing deep into his side, tingling with the after-effects of recent water-healing. The more he focuses on the point the more the pain builds, so he’s all too happy to turn his attention instead to the bickering Water Tribe siblings, their stressed tones clearly audible from the other side of the room.

“You and your… _tinkering!_ You’re not taking this seriously!”

“Enough, Katara! Do I hate that people keep trying to kill Zuko, despite all the good things he’s doing? Yes, I do. Do I hate that this happens at least once almost every time we visit, and who knows how many times in between? _Yes_ , I do! Am I terrified that the next time it won’t be something he can just bounce back from? Just as much as you are!

“But there’s nothing we can do about that right now. They caught the guy who did it, and are questioning him to find out if it was part of a bigger threat. And Zuko is going to heal just fine, even without the help of your magic water. This time, everything is going to be ok.”

“I’m sorry, Sokka. I shouldn’t have… I just _hate_ that we can’t be here to help protect him, and even when we are it’s not enough. But I shouldn’t take that out on you. So… the weapon, what have you worked out?”

“Mostly, that life’s not fair and I really hate the person who designed this thing. Because it’s _such a cool_ _idea_ , but they had to use it to hurt _Zuko_. It seems to be sort of a cross between a crossbow and those firework things Zuko showed us? There are traces of the powder used in the rockets in this bit here, but when you light it, it sends a little metal ball shooting out of this tube here fast enough to… well, you saw.”

“So, it’s like a non-bender using firebending to earthbend. Toph would either hate it or get _ideas_ …”

Zuko closes his eyes and carefully pretends he is still unconscious. He knows how on-edge all the assassination attempts have left _him_ , but he hadn’t realised just how badly they affect his friends too. Perhaps he should suggest they wait until he has a better handle on things before they visit again.

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Mai is unimpressed with her boyfriend's self-preservation skills.


End file.
